Playpen



Feb. 24, 1953 G. E. FOURNIER A INVENTOR.

M AZTORNEY m N M o PLAYPEN Filed Aug. 4, 1949 Patented Feb. 24, 1953 PLAYPEN George E. Fournier, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Patricia A. Fournier, Hartford, Conn.

Application August 4, 1949, Serial No. 108,518 6 Claims. (01. '-99 This invention relates to play pens and particularly to a foldable play pen having a floor formed of sections attached to the side sections, the floor sections being supported above the surface on which the pen is mounted by means of iron bracket members attached to and extending inwardly from the side wall sections.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a play pen of the type shown and described in my c-o-pending application, Ser. No. 750,944, filed May 28, 1947 (now Patent No. 490,296), with a slightly raised and supported floor.

A feature that enables the above object to be accomplished is that brackets or arms formed preferably of iron rods are attached to the side wall sections adjacent the legs of adjacent sides slightly above the lower ends of the legs, the inner ends of the rods being turned downward at approximately the center of the pen to form central supports for the floor sections.

Another object of the invention is to form a foldable play pen that may have its floor sections and their supporting arms or bracket neat- =ly folded into compact carrying form.

And finally it is an object to provide a unit play pen with a foldable flooring having triangular sections hinged together in pairs and supported by brackets carried by the side wall members to maintain the floor sections elevated from the surface on which the legs rest and in a horizontal plane, the brackets and the floor sections may be folded to carrying position in pairs and the brackets may be retained against and below the lower rails of the side panel frames.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may include the features of construction and operation set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing annexed hereto and forming a part of this specification, I have shown the invention embodied in a hexagonal play pen, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the complete pen in folded or carrying position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the complete pen in open or operative position, and

.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pen shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being broken away to more clearly show the details of the floor construction.

In the above mentioned drawing, there has been shown but one embodiment of the invention which is now deemed preferable, but it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Briefly, and in it broadest aspect, the invention may include the following principal parts: First, side wall sections hinged together to permit folding and opening .to form an enclosure;

. second, floor sections hinged together in pairs and hinged individually to said side wall sections along one of their sides; and third, brackets at tached at their ends to adjacent side wall sections to support said floor sections adjacent their central portions and above the surface on which the play pen is positioned.

Referring more in particular to the figures of the drawing it will be seen that six side wall sections ill have been provided in the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration. These sections In may include legs or posts [2 separated by top and bottom rails l4 and It, the bottom rails l6 being raised some distance above the lower ends of the posts or legs l2. Between the upper and lower rails are vertical bars or rods l8 to form a panelled enclosure.

The side wall sections ID are hinged together preferably by pairs of hinges 20 secured to adjacent posts l2. The hinges 20 are so disposed that the side wall sections Ill may be folded to the form shown in Fig. 1, the pairs of hinges 20 for this purpose being alternately on the inside and outside edges of the posts l2. At one of the joints formed by hinges 20 the central pins of the hinges may be separable from one of the plate members so that the enclosure may be opened preparatory to folding.

Hinged to the lower rail 16 of each side wall section In is a floor section 22, each floor section preferably being triangular in outline with one side adjacent the side wall section. These floor sections 22 may therefore be folded into vertical positions against the inner surfaces of the side wall sections II] when the pen is'to be folded into carrying position.

To support the inner or central portions of the floor sections 22 brackets 24 are provided preferably formed of heavy bent metal rods. These brackets as shown most clearly in Fig. 3 have their central portions doubled upon themselves 3 and the inner doubled portion bent downward to form a supporting leg 26 on which adjacent floor sections 2 may rest. As shown in Fig. 1 this central bent down portion of the rods 24 may be positioned so that it may engage the lower surface of the hinges 28 connecting adjacent edges of adjacent floor sections. The outer ends of the rod 24 forming the bracket are bent upward as indicated at 30 and are secured firmly within vertical holes bored in the lower rails of adjacent side wall sections within which they may rotate. The brackets 24 when the pen is folded into its carrying position are disposed below the lower rails of the side wall sections and above the lower ends of the side rods l2. When in open. position the inner bent down portions 28 of the brackets 24 hold the inwardly extending portions against the under surface of the floor sections 22 so that these floor sections are supported along one side.

From the above description the operation of the. play pen will be clearly understood. without further explanation. To fold the pen it is only necessary to raise each adjacent pair of floor sections 22 against their side Wall sections in this simultaneously bringing the side walls to which the pair of floor sections are attached together into folded position. When in folded position the sections may be retained by means of straps 32 but one of which is shown. In open position the floor sections 22 are supported in a horizontal plane by their attachment to the side wall sections and by the bracket ends 26.

I. claim as my invention:

1. A play pen comprising a plurality of side wall sections hinged together to form an enclosure, a triangular floor section attached to each of said side Wall sections above the surface on which the pen rests, and bent metal brackets attached at their ends to adjacent side wall sections and adapted to support the inner portions of said floor sections.

2. A play pen comprising a plurality of side wall sections hinged together to form an enclosure, side posts forming parts of said side wall sections extending below said sections to form legs, a floor section hinged to each of said side wall sections above the lower ends of said legs, said floor sections being hinged together in pairs along radial lines of said play pen.

3. A play pen comprising a plurality of side wall sections having side posts thereon hinged together and forming legs, and upper and lower rails on said side wall sections connecting the side posts of said wall sections, floor sections each having a side hinged to a side section, and brackets having their outer ends attached to lower rails of adjacent wall sections and extending inwardly of said pen to support the inner portions of said floor sections in a horizontal plane above the surface on which said legs rest.

l. A play pen comprising a. plurality of side wall sections hinged together to form an enclosure, a triangular floor section attached to each of said side wall sections above the surface on which the pen rests, and floor section supporting brackets having their outer ends attached to adjacentsidewall sections and the inner end of each bracket supporting. portions of adjacent floor sections.

5. A play pen comprising a plurality of side Wall sections hinged together to form an enclosure, a triangular floor section attached to each of said side wall sections above the surface on which the pen rests, and floor section supporting brackets, said brackets comprising rods bent centrally upon themselves and having their outer ends fastened to adjacent side wall sections, and the inner portion of each bracket being bent downward to form a support for portions of adjacent floor sections.

6. A play pen comprising a plurality of side wall sections hinged together to form an enclosure, side posts on each of said wall sections extending below said sections to form legs, floor sections for said enclosure, a floor section being hinged to each side wall section and said floor sections being hinged together in pairs, and brackets for supporting the floor sections adjacent the central portion of said enclosure, each of said brackets having its outer ends attached to adjacent wall sections.

GEORGE E. FOURNIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,308,608 Kennedy Jan. 19, 1943 2,489,188 Landry Nov. 22, 1949 2,490,296 Fournier Dec. 6, 1949 2,491,966 Gans Dec. 20, 1949 2,523,422 Dunn Sept. 26, 1950 

